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woensdag 30 april 2014

In 1976 I visited Canterbury for the first time. Although it must have been fascinating, I just don't have that much recollections of this bunch of old stones, which must have been the way I viewed the cathedral. Although something about the ages and history set in. The running gag of this holiday with parents and family was upheld in the cathedral also: x fell here, in this case Thomas a Beckett. My relationship with the cathedral changed over the years.

Now there's a band called Canterbury. A band for some reason so obviously British, that the way it plays U.S. rock, prog and even some punky elements, is outdone by the way I can hear several of these songs being brawled in the pubs of the U.K. late at night by an inebriated audience that has to but does not want to go home. "Out, out", shouts the publican, but all he receives in return is "We are, we are the broken" as 'Expensive imitation' is put on again and shouted along to. The next line is easily mistaken for a request for another shout: "We're bound and bind and stolen". Let's make that a pint, mate. "Expensive imitation" starts in total silence, then an intro of a psychedelic outing in reverse, before it develops into something resembling the work-up to the end of The Beatles' 'A day in the life'. An orchestra going out of bounds.

Canterbury is from Farnham in Surrey where the band members started playing together while in highschool. Presently four members remain: guitarist and vocalist Mike Sparks; bassist and lead vocalist Luke Prebble, guitarist James Pipe and drummer Chris Velissarides, who was added to the line up in 2013. Dark days is the band's third album after 2009's 'Thank you and calm down' and 'Heavy in the day' released in 2012. It is my first Canterbury album.

Canterbury makes music that usually is not my sort of music. I'm not one for the American alternative rock bands. Whether Pearl Jam, Soundgarden or the more punky, angry shouters, a few songs is alright, but after that I have to put on another album and certainly band. There is also a mood over the album that reminds me of a band like Flying Colors, which I also liked, somewhat to my surprise. There is a minor prog element in the music of Canterbury. What makes Dark days more attractive is that there is another element. Call it the Oasis factor. Canterbury knows who how to write a song and adorn it with an interesting melody. That the songs are played loud and are presented in a broad scope, doesn't matter. It's even irrelevant, as most songs, no doubt, will hold their own when played in another setting.

Then there are all these fun details. The accents played high on the cymbals in 'Expensive imitations'. The chorus and lead guitar in 'Satellite'. The way the intro of 'Hold your own' detonates with everything that went on on Darker days before. Canterbury is not afraid of doing something different as well. The bands that do not allow themselves to be captured in one corner are the ones that usually are the most interesting. Not that all songs on Darker days are that good. The Toto like 'Think it over' is not exactly my cup of tea, but the best Toto songs are good, just not really my favourites. And again these small details with these little bells sounding in the background.

'By the trail' starts with an acoustic guitar. A real rockballad and my Mister Mister, Cock Robin, Foreigner allergies started playing up fast, but to my surprise a song unveiled itself that has the right melody, horns kick in and there are even the unavoidable violins, but I lived to tell. The singing is good, why not an a capella ending? It's all there, making Darker days another notch better. Something 'Elephant' also does. The chorus is a trick I've heard many times before, but it doesn't matter. The chorus is just fantastic. And, dear reader, we are only at song 9 into Dark days and I'm still having the greatest of times. So who cares what happens next? This album can't do wrong anymore (and doesn't).

Dark days is not my album and at the same time totally is. It's nice when an album surprises me, takes me by the inner ear and on a musical trip past pastures unsuspected. Always listen first and then judge. Sometimes that is hard, but it is the only way to have unsuspected beauty revealed or discover new favourites. Dark days by Canterbury is one of those albums that underscores this truth.

dinsdag 29 april 2014

After the surfrockers of Hyperblaster Surfcowboys had finished, the podium
was reshuffled a little for the second act of the evening at ‘Hail to the king’
night in the Q-Bus in Leiden. John Paul Keith and the One, Four, Fives took to
the stage. Also guitar, bass, drums, but with three microphones that were used
for singing as a main difference. The second difference was that the variation
in JP’s repertoire was a lot bigger also. The similarity lay in the fact that
the set was comprised of songs styled in ways that are long over in 2014. There
were a few covers in the set, Freddie King’s ‘Hideway’ (or I’m nearly sure, as
all these instrumentals sort of sound like each other), ‘You devil you’, which sounded very familiar ('You angel you'?) and the
song that ended all fun on this night, Billie Swan’s 1975 #1 hit ‘I can help’.
I hadn’t heard the song for years, but could sing every word and realized: This
sounds like a Paul McCartney song so much. I’d never noticed that before. And
here we get to one of the strong points of John Paul Keith. (And why did his
parents forget Mick?, unless John Paul is after the two popes of course.)

JPK. Photo: Wo.

On record, I only knew 'The man who time forgot', his 2011 album before the show,
John Paul Keith goes off in many direction. From Buddy Holly to straight
country, to rock and roll or The Beatles. Anything goes, but sometimes too wide
to my liking. The real country stuff, mwah. This made me a bit awry before the show started, as the show could have gone off in any direction as well. My apprehension was taken away almost instantly. In trio setting JP Keith mostly rocks. There is no escape in this trio setting of guitar, bass and drums. Again the songs themselves may go off in several directions, but all are played in a solid way. With some great guitar soloing going around.

Just when the band had finished a great rockballad sort of song, my companion for the evening said to me: "The show is having a dip. This is not my sort of music". Just then the band kicked into a Chuck Berry kind of rock and roller and we both did not look back. Limbs were moved around! In other words a great build up of the set.

1,4,5's. Photo: Wo.

In a sense John Paul Keith is an anachronism. With songs and sounds that could have been created 50 years ago and more, his musical taste is not from today. Ricky Nelson and Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry and The Beatles in its first years. As all four are no longer active (or alive) today, there is a market for these songs. Ludwig van Beethoven is still played, so why not new songs in an old idiom. Especially as they are as pleasantly good as the songs John Paul Keith writes? Listening to a The Beatles kind of song, with at exactly the right moment the right extended or diminished chord, is so much fun. Spine tinkling sometimes.

That leaves me with mentioning the two members of The One Four Fives, John Trahey on bass and Brian Wells on drums, who both do some backing vox in the right places. Together they create a very tight show, partly down memory lane and partly in 2014. Anyone enjoying rootsrock, rock, pop and beat, can't afford to miss a show by John Paul Keith and the One Four Fives. Don't hold your breath, but expect a review of John Paul Keith's last album 'Memphis Circa 3AM' soon as well.

zondag 27 april 2014

What to expect from a band with a name like this? The answer is easy, souped up surf instrumentals of course, fired at the audience at lighting speed.

Hyperblaster Surfcowboys is a trio from Amsterdam that plays music under the motto "Surf is back". And we found out just why that is is on the 25th of April when they played a duo bill with John Paul Keith and the One Four Fives in Q-Bus, Leiden under the name "Hail to the king".

Surf and any other instrumental guitar songs from circa 1960-1962 are from beyond my musical recollection. A song like 'Apache' or 'Walk don't run' would be played every once in a while on the radio, but that must have been about it. Music that was long gone, music that babyboomers could talk nostalgically about, but simply did not move me a lot. That did not change when Quentin Tarantino put some surf into his famous movies nor when a sixty something Dick Dale started recording and touring again because of that. When elements of surf are put into rock and roll, lets take The Paladins as an example, then I start listening some more. But on the whole, neither is something I listen to at home. And to get any misunderstanding out of the way: I am not writing about songs about surfing here. So don't expect this to be on The Beach Boys or Jan & Dean!

Photo: Wo.

So here we are in the Q-Bus. Three guys on stage. Guitar, bass, drums. A beautiful light blue and white Fender Stratocaster, and an equally beautiful green, shiny Epiphone bass. Loads of reverb and echo on the guitar and away we went. Listening to surf music live, admittedly my first experience, so there is not much to go on by comparison, there are basically two sort of songs. The more up tempo ones which are truly exhilarating and slower ones, let's call them surf tearjerkers. I can do without these. They are nothing but a reverb doused variation of the little crying gypsy boy or clown art sort of music, played preferably with an accordion.

Photo: Wo.

However, when things go loose, Hyperblaster Surfcowboys lets things go loose. From the typical down run on the bass snare of the Fender to great accents and chord changes, everything just goes in one blast. Extra cudos have to go to the bass player, Dirk. He went off on some great adventures on his bass, so that in a way we had two solo instruments at the same time, with drummer Alex who kept it all together. Hyperblaster Surfcowboys may not play flawless, they didn't, but the music is presented as it should. Working hard, kicking up a storm and showing to the audience that they mean what they play. Whether they played a cover or a song by the band itself, there sure was no difference in the attitude. A song is attacked, tossed around and thrown to audience. Hyperblaster Surfcowboys, or Mr Hyperblaster on guitar, RumbaRidskin on bass and Eddy Cracker on drums as they call themelves on stage is on fire on a regular basis. My opinion on surf as such hasn't changed because of what I saw, but this was fun. And isn't that why we go to a live show?

donderdag 24 april 2014

I Drove a Tank is a new young band from Antwerpen in Belgium with a hip name. In the past few weeks we saw tanks all over the Ukraine and not always with the intended driver behind the sticks. The sticks of this tank remain firmly in the hands of I Drove a Tank itself. The band produced an indie-rock album with clear influences going all the way back to the early new wave and sixties pop melodies. Something it has in common with Arctic Monkeys and the band that is the link before Sheffield's finest, The Libertines. And from there it's The Clash and all the way back to The Kinks. 'If not the heart' is a song that could have been made by Ray and Dave Davies in the late 60s. Only the lead guitar sound is out of place. So I Drove a Tank scores some extra points here. 'If not the heart' is a modest song, but has all it takes to stand out. A song that I may just play again and again in the coming days, weeks, months.

Here we touch upon one of the secrets of I Drove a Tank. At first, very casual, listen I did not find much happening, at the second I got an inkling that I should be paying more attention and at the third I didn't look back. I Drove a Tank had me where it wanted. (Although the Johnny Cash pastiche 'A better deal' sort of turns me off.) Luckily 'The nights' brings me back to where I want to be. Some nice indie rock, that is not to neatly made, but has purpose and determination, with all sorts of little, nice extras.

I Drove a Tank is from Antwerpen in Belgium. It consists of Frédéric Albers on guitar, Ben de Vroey on drums, Bart de Roeck on bass and Hans Mertens on guitar and vocals. The members are not young contenders, but are all pushing or into their thirties. Something that shines through in the music of the band. It's not all "sturm und drang". The mind clearly plays a role also in the music on I drove a tank. The music is well proportioned and thought out. The little extras in the harmonies and guitar parts shine and come forward in all the right moments. The band calls its music "rammelrock" and for the life of me I can't come up with an adequate translation. The moniker fits and doesn't. Fitting because I Drove a Tank does not aim for the perfect pop song and doesn't because the songs are quite well constructed.

Looked at from a distance there's nothing new happening on I drove a tank. Nothing I have not heard before and the fact is that I do not care. This album is just too much fun to care. The way 'No Joe Strummer', what's in a title to reveal some influences?, is kept small and still reveals sheer beauty and inspiration. Guitar parts come from several points in the mix, each with its own distinct flavour, sound and way of playing. The sound more of Big Audio Dynamite (or what I remember it to be as I haven't listened to this band's music since the 80s) than The Clash itself, with Lloyd Cole singing.

Songs do shoot off in all directions. The Strokes ('Monocle') come by just as easily as the already mentioned Johnny Cash or The Kinks (does Mertens sing: "I love The Kinks" in 'More scared'? It could well be) and not to forget The Smiths. That is a bit much for one album, well the Johnny Cash one is, but that is about the only flaw I can find on I drove a tank. And that someone in 'Imogen' "dances to Mumford & Sons", is not o.k., but the "I" moves to the bar, so that makes it alright. Hans Mertens has listened closely to the way Julian Casablancas sings, with the distorted sound and all. Luckily for all fans of I Drove a Tank he goes beyond this. Contrary to The Strokes' singer, Mertens dares to come from behind the distortion and really sings together with a backing vocalist and alone and comes closer to Morrissey this way. His voice is well worth listening to without studio effects distorting it.

Something what does not happen to me while listening to I drove at tank is that I start getting bored somewhere during the second half of the album. I drove a tank is an album that I'd classify as indie rock and that is usually what happens to me while listening to such an album. The Smiths, U2, REM, even Is this it? of The Strokes after song 7. (Yes, all these bands were indie once.) I drove a tank keeps my attention spanned. I think I found the secret to. The variation that I Drove A Tank puts into its songs, makes the album, well, varied, exactly what I always found lacking on most or all albums of the bands just mentioned. So here was the story of how a small, new(?) band from Belgium beats all the big ones on points.

dinsdag 22 april 2014

'Attack on memory' (2012) was Cloud Nothing's breakthrough record. Not in the sense that the band from Cleveland scored number one hitsingles, but certainly in the sense that the band was noticed and received critical acclaim. Here and nowhere else is the band's third album and easily meets expectations. Basically Here and nowhere else continues where 'Attack on memory' left off. The punky alternative rock is all over both albums, with the former being a little more focused. Cloud Nothings is simply playing a little bit better, wrote a tat more melodic songs and just a little less experiment. A fall for commercialism? No, for that the sound is still too rough, too loud and too shaky. A hint that Cloud Nothings could go off in a more commercial direction in the future? Yes, perhaps, but who can look into the future? Not even Dylan Baldi, the principle member of Cloud Nothings can do that. Although he may have a plan.

As far as his plans for 2014 go, it seems that he's developed a strategy to rock as much and hard as possible. Cloud Nothings is a trio. Next to Baldi, there are drummer Jayson Gerycz, and bassist TJ Duke. The rhythm section pounds away, filling the whole space, together with the rhythm guitar of Baldi. Over all this noise, melodic yes, but noise, Baldi either sings or shouts with a voice that seems to be hanging in there by its last shreds of vocal chord threads. Second, third or fourth guitars sometimes breakaway from the mould to throw in some extra, sometimes quite dissonant, notes.

For a band that started as (one of the) bedchamber projects of David Baldi it sounds very tight. Baldi released music under various names. Cloud Nothings was the one that was picked up, so he needed a live band. The band is together for several years now and has made two albums together. It's not difficult to hear the progression. 'Progression walks' is the long song on Here and nowhere else, with an experimental interlude. The way the band fills in the finale shows the ability for interplay between the members. Gerycz is very much present, but he gives the song this extra loud beats and kicks after the interlude that makes 'Progression walks' simply explode. What power, what force! The second example of his power to change the course of a song is in opener 'Now hear in'. He just changes the pace and intensity and creates something like a song within 'Now hear in'. Two different times as well.

Here and nowhere else is not for the faint-hearted. The production is not fantastic. It is aimed more at projecting energy than beauty. The guitars sound harsh (and loud, but you knew that already), for maximum effect. Producer John Congleton has managed to capture the storm that Cloud Nothings is on tape (or digits) in its full fury. Nothing has been done to make things more prettier than they are. 'Now hear in' opens Here and nothing else. Anyone who gets through this song and is enjoying him or herself is in for a treat. Punky, snotty, a bit arrogant and certainly in your face.

Cloud Nothings is at the top of its game. I thought 'Attack on memory' a good album, this one's better. A lot better. Therapy?'s 'Screamager' is a starting point and then just forget anything else. I'm also thinking about The Thermals' first album, but quality of songs wise this is no comparison. Dylan Baldi's songs are so much better. There are moments that a little self-restraint might have given a better song, but at what loss of energy? The end of 'Psychic trauma' is nothing but a tornado unleashed on unsuspecting ears. The Strokes? Yes, of course. Cloud Nothings is doing everything The Strokes have not developed into and will never reach at nor to (again). And Kurt certainly is in the singing. The good thing is, that all these influences are incorporated in something that is called Cloud Nothings. No copying, but a successful incorporation, creating something that is very much its own.

Cloud Nothings has made the next step in its career and all signs are on green. This is the album that can take the band to a next level. A favourite at the summer festivals. It remains to be seen where this story will end at. For now this reviewer and listener is very content. And again Cloud Nothings has come up with a stylish black and white, somewhat mysterious cover. I like that aspect of this band as well

zondag 20 april 2014

As I already wrote in the previous post on this blog, the show in the Q-Bus this night was like listening to a representative of the sunny bright day brigade and one from the pitch dark moonless night. Rebecca Loebe belongs to the former, Amanda Pearcy to the latter. In many ways Amanda Pearcy has more mileage on her, which makes her more interesting in different ways also. Her voice is rougher, she has lived more and clearly encountered the blues in many ways; emotions that shine through in her songs.

At the house show of Beth Wimmer in Ter Aar last weekend host Peter had told me that I have to go and see Amanda Pearcy, Erwin Zijleman's blogpost tipped me over. (I even got to finally meet him, after all the e-mailing we have been doing over the past years for WoNo Magazine and this blog.) They were both proven right. I have not regretted going for a single moment. Listening to Amanda Pearcy sing is a treat and nothing but that.

Amanda Pearcy is not completely comfortable on stage. This adds to the experience. It also reminded me of seeing Lucinda Williams several years ago. Not only the unease in the appearance, but her voice and some songs as well. The unease shows more in the talks in between songs than in the singing and playing itself. Pearcy is clearly happy and comfortable with her songs. And quite rightly so. Her songs stand out and show life in all its facets. I could have done without some details in her stories though.

Matt Giles. Photo Wo.

On stage Amanda Pearcy was accompanied by Matt Giles, who sang some minor backing vocals, joined in the banter on the stage, but mostly played these nice electric guitar parts: slide, finger or plectrum picked. All songs got a nice shot of energy in the right places. A solo, intricate playing or just a sound boost. Where Amanda Pearcy got the strum going, keeping the beat. Also in her guitar sound there is great difference with Rebecca Loebe. It's deeper, darker, but still very clear. Together Pearcy and Giles made me forget that there could have been a bass player, drummer, keyboardist. They were just not required. The two of them were enough.

There was another difference between the two ladies. Amanda Pearcy's songs are much more varied. She steeps into the blues as well, creating a mix of blues and country/folk. Her show started with a footstompin' field holler, which was the last thing that I'd expected to hear. The variation was kept up during the show. One song was more of a ballad, another went off more into country, others into folk. All were Amanda Pearcy because of the quality of her voice.

Amanda & Matt. Photo: Wo.

And is everything pitch black? No, the moon returns regularly in her songs. Whether in crescent form or just in general. There are rays of light, so hope anyway. I'd almost forgotten that because the difference between the two singers was so huge in Q-Bus this evening.

The last difference I'll mention is that I got really curious to hear her album. Having heard three songs before the show, I had not planned on doing so. We talked for a while and I got to know her just a little bit when I bought her second album 'Royal street'. Expect a review in the coming weeks. I can already say that the album is as varied as the show, if not more so. Erwin Zijleman was right also. Amanda Pearcy is an artist that should and deserves to be heard more. So what is keeping you from doing so?

zaterdag 19 april 2014

It had been a while since I attended a show at the Q-Bus. Somehow dates did not match or the artists did not seem interesting enough to give a rare free evening to. That all changed yesterday after two different people tipped me to go and see Amanda Pearcy. Although I had not really liked the few songs I'd tried to listen to earlier this week, in between a million other things, I'd decided to go anyway. Not only did I get to see Amanda, first we had the treat of listening the lovely and charming Rebecca Loebe.

The contrast between the two singer-songwriters from Austin, Texas could not be greater. Something like a blue sky, bright sunny day and a pitch black, moonless night. Rebecca Loebe plays charming, sweet songs with a clear, angelic voice, accompanying herself with a clear sounding guitar picking notes or with muted, rhythmic strums. We learned about her travels around the U.S. and Japan, her participation in the first U.S. season of 'The voice', for which she, quite ironically, had to cancel her first Dutch tour in 2011. I even learned that she has Dutch family on the in-law side that she was staying at in Zwolle.

But what about the music? It started with a song called 'Darlin''. The sentence "The smell of your beard in the morning" stood out straight away. A song about being in love, wondering what the spell is she is under. That was the spell she brought the audience under, the sweet wonder of the beautiful things in life. Whether it was about an 18 year old boy from Florida travelling to Chicago to get married ('The Chicago kid') or loving to be but not belonging in L.A. Life was shown from a positive site.

Photo: Wo.

We also got to hear the song she auditioned 'The Voice' with. She turned 'Come as you are' totally inside out, showing what imagination can do to very familiar songs. It gave her the luxury of two coaches she could pick from, while all she could think: "I have to cancel a whole European tour". That is a position of luxury.

To be honest, I have no idea whether I can stand a whole cd of Rebecca Loebe. There is a lack of a bite in her songs and voice as her songs are extremely girlish. A bite that I need every once in a while. Last night though in the Q-Bus I really enjoyed listening to Rebecca Loebe and her sweet voice, although in hindsight I have to say that the bill was in the right sequence. The other way around seems unimaginable. To be continued tomorrow.

vrijdag 18 april 2014

Wind is blowing, seagulls screeching and from this the familiar sound of Peanuts' keyboard comes forward. After these desolate notes that blend with mother nature's calls, the band kicks in. Forceful, tight and with determination. My very first exposure to 'The factory gates' made me think: Yes, Kaiser Chiefs is back. Is that thought the correct one?

Having listened to Education, education, education and war several times brought another question to mind as well, the answer of which answers the previous one as well. Is the leaving of Nick Hodgson a blessing in disguise for Kaiser Chiefs? That is the question I'm left with after listening to Education, education, education & war. Kaiser Chiefs debuted with 'Employment' in 2005. An album filled with only hits (o.k., two songs weren't). 'Yours truly, angry mob' consolidated this position in 2007, not least because of the great single 'Ruby' that was on it. 'Off with their heads (2008) seemed to have been made in too great haste. 2012's 'The future is medieval' was all concept, but not a good album. Kaiser Chiefs at that point in its career started playing greatest hits festivals. Not a good point to be at with your fourth album. That makes Education (3x) & war a very important album, in my opinion. When now ex-drummer and principal songwriter Hodgson walked in that fated day late in 2012 to announce his retirement from the band, the other members must have been quite disappointed and perhaps feared for their future as professional musicians as well. The days of 'Employment' are long behind us. The long oohs and aahs over, but what brings Education?

My first impulse is that the leaving of Hodgson seems to have been a blessing in disguise. Education is a strong album with great (power) pop-rock songs, that have good melodies, balls and spunk. Something that was lacking in the band's previous two efforts. Whether this can only be attributed to Hodgson's leaving is hard to tell for an outsider, but it may well be that others took responsibility for their own future and Kaiser Chief's. The "ha-ha-ha-ha-" part in 'Misery company' may sound a bit preposterous, Kaiser Chiefs have never rocked so exuberantly with a hard and harsh sounding guitar solo by Andrew "Whithey" White. 'Ruffians on parade' is a song Maxïmo Park can only dream of making ever again it seems. Great melody, tight and rocking. New drummer Vijay Mistry proves himself to be a good addition to the band.

Another reason of Kaiser Chief's resurrection could be singer Ricky Wilson. I didn't even recognise him on the promo photo's. A thin, well-trained man showed himself. Apparently he has taken to running instead of drinking. Being fitter gives more energy and the ability to rock harder. Is the explanation this easy? It may well be. Education has that spark again that made Kaiser Chiefs what it was: a band that plays good time fun music, great to sing along with and produced with a load of energy. All these elements were largely missing on album three and four. They are back and although Education will never be an 'Employment', it is a return to form for Kaiser Chiefs.

What I really like is that most songs have great extras in them. Sounds that pop up, the guitar that is allowed to really go off into uncharted territories and fun harmonies that really are back. Peanut's keyboard shines in all sorts of different sounds. The veil of drabness is lifted this way, songs polished so hard they shine beyond believe. Kaiser Chiefs obviously is hard work, but the play element is fully restored. So everyone is named except bassist Simon Rix. I've read that he was the driving force behind education, the keeper of quality. If so, well done, Mr. Rix.

'My life' really makes the fold. What an exuberant song! It sparkles and sizzles the whole way. 'Bows & arrows' is aimed at festivals. The middle part begs huge crowds clapping hands above their heads. 80s sounding keyboards propel the song forward. 'Bows & arrows' is not the best song on Education, but certainly may have the largest effect when played live. The concept of a bow and an arrow as separate, but useless, items and the worth they have when used together is quite a truth about life in general. 'Cannons' may be a bit too ambitious, especially the long poem/story at the end, but holds some truths as well, that sometimes beg being told. The tenth and last song is 'Roses'. Perhaps that song could better have been presented to Robbie Williams. So there you go, some positive feedback as well.

Kaiser Chiefs may make a second statement here beyond its own musical one. In 2014 there is no chance at 'Employment' without 'Education'. A lesson for all, youth and adults alike. Education, education, education & war is full of ambition and delivers just that. Kaiser Chiefs is back. Enjoy it!